Music Stars Real Names Movie Lists Music Stars Real Names Here is an alphabetical list of the most popular music stars from past to present and what their real or full names really are. Edited By: Lew Johnny Ace - John Alexander Jr.

Adele - Adele Laurie Blue Adkins Clay Aiken - Clayton Holmes Grissom Akon - Aliaune Damala Bouga Time Puru Nacka Lu Lu Lu Badara Akon Thiam Lily Allen - Lily Rose Beatrice Cooper Gregg Allman (Allman Brothers Band) - Gregory Lenoir Allman Tori Amos - Myra Ellen Amos apl.de.ap (The Black Eyed Peas) - Allan Pineda Lindo Fiona Apple - Fiona Apple Maggart Trey Anastasio (Phish) - Ernest Joseph Anastasio III André 3000 (Outkast) - André Lauren Benjamin Adam Ant - Stuart Leslie Goddard Little Anthony - Anthony Gourdine Marc Anthony - Marco Antonio Muniz Ashanti - Ashanti Shaquoya "Shani Bani" Douglas Frankie Avalon - Francis Thomas Avallone Avicii - Tim Bergling Joan Baez - Joan Chandos Baez Ginger Baker - Peter Edward Baker LaVern Baker - Delores Williams Hank Ballard (Hank Ballard and the Midnighters) - John Henry Kendricks Afrika Bambaataa - Kevin Donovan Syd Barrett (Pink Floyd) - Roger Keith Barrett Len Barry - Leonard Borrisoff Ol' Dirty Bastard

 (rap artist) - Russell Tyrone Jones Beck - Bek David Campbell Jeff Beck - Geoffery Arnold Beck Captain Beefheart - Don Van Vliet Harry Belafonte - Harold George Belafonte Pat Benatar - Patricia Andrejewski Tony Bennett - Anthony Dominick Benedetto Brook Benton - Benjamin Franklin Pierre Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers Band) - Forrest Richard Betts Beyonce - Beyonce Giselle Knowles Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys) - Eric Reed Boucher Bo Bice - Harold Elwin Bice, III Birdy - Jasmine Lucilla Elizabeth Jennifer van den Bogaerde Bjork - Bjork Gudmundsdottir Big Boi (Outkast) - Antwan André Patton Marc Bolan (T-Rex) - Marc Feld Michael Bolton - Michael Bolotin The Big Bopper - Jiles Perry Richardson Gary U.S.

Bonds - Gary Anderson Jon Bon Jovi - John Francis Bongiovi Jr. Bono (U2) - Paul David Hewson Sonny Bono - Salvatore Philip Bono Pat Boone - Charles Eugene Boone Wes Borland (Limp Bizkit) - Wesley Scott Borland David Bowie - David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones Big Bad Brad (Linkin Park) - Bradford Phillip Delson Michelle Branch - Michelle Jacquet DeSevren Branch-Landau Bobby Brown - Robert Barisford Brown Chris Brown - Christopher Maurice Brown Jackson Browne - Clyde Jackson Browne David Bryan (Bon Jovi) - David Bryan Rashbaum Buckethead - Brian Carroll Chris de Burgh - Christopher John de Burgh Davison C J. J. Cale - John W.

Cale Randy California (Spirit) - Randy Craig Wolfe Freddy Cannon - Frederick Anthony Picariello Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains) - Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr Irene Cara - Irene Escalera Tony Carey - Anthony Lawrence Carey Eric Carr (KISS) - Paul Charles Caravello Cat Power - Charlyn Marie Marshall 50 Cent - Curtis Jackson Ray Charles - Ray Charles Robinson Chubby Checker - Ernest Evans Cher - Cherilyn Sarkisian La Piere Lou Christie - Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco Charlotte Church - Charlotte Maria Reed Eric Clapton - Eric Patrick Clapton Gene Clark (Byrds) - Harold Eugene Clark Kelly Clarkson - Kelly Brianne Clarkson Les Claypool (Primus) - Leslie Edward Claypool Patsy Cline - Virginia Patterson Hensley Clown (Slipknot) - Michael Shawn Crahan Kurt Cobain (Nirvana) - Kurt Donald Cobain Joe Cocker - John Robert Cocker Nat King Cole - Nathaniel Adams Coles Judy Collins - Judith Marjorie Collins Common - Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr.

Perry Como - Pierino Ronald Como Ry Cooder - Ryland Peter Cooder Sam Cooke - Sam Cook Al Kooper (Blood Sweat & Tears) - Alan Peter Kuperschmidt Alice Cooper - Vincent Damon Furnier Dave "Baby" Cortez - David Clowney Elvis Costello - Declan Patrick McManus John Cougar - John Mellencamp Peter Criss (Kiss) - George Peter John Criscuola David Crosby - David Van Cortland Crosby Ice Cube - Oshea Jackson Kim Deal (Pixies) - Kimberly Ann Deal Jimmy Dean - Jimmy Dean John Decon (Queen) - John Richard Deacon Joey Dee - Joseph DiNicola Mos Def - Dante Terrell Smith John Denver - John Henry Deutschendorf Rick Derringer - Richard Zehringer Jason Derulo - Jason Joel Desrouleaux Buck Dharma (Blue Oyster Cult) - Donald Roeser King Diamond (Mercyful Fate) - Kim Bendix Petersen Neil Diamond - Neil Leslie Diamond Little Jimmy Dickens - James Cecil Dickens Bo Diddley - Ellas Otha Bates (name upon adoption: Ellas McDaniel) Dido - Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong Diplo - Thomas Wesley Pentz Snoop Dogg - Cord

azer Calvin Broadus Jr.

Thomas Dolby - Thomas Morgan Robertson Mickey Dolenz (The Monkees) - George Michael Braddock Fats Domino - Antoine Domino Tal Farlow - Talmage Holt Farlow Freddie Fender - Baldemar G. Huerta Feist - Leslie Feist Fergie (The Black Eyed Peas) - Stacy Ann Ferguson Lupe Fiasco - Wasalu Muhammad Jaco Fieldy (Korn) - Reginald Arvizu Dani Filth (Cradle of Filth) - Daniel Lloyd Davey Grandmaster Flash (DJ, rapper) - Joseph Saddler Flavor Flav / Flava Flav (Public Enemy) - William Jonathan Drayton Jr.

Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) - Michael Peter Balzary Four Tet - Kieran Hebden Black Francis (Pixies) - Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV Connie Francis - Concetta Maria Franconero Sage Francis / Xaul Zan - Paul Francis Ace Frehley (KISS) - Paul Daniel Frehley Nelly Furtado - Nelly Kim Furtado Future - Nayvadius DeMun Wilburn Boy George - George Alan O'Dowd Gary Glitter - Paul Gadd Lesley Gore - Lesley Sue Goldstein Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam) - Stone Carpenter Gossard Gotye - Wouter De Backer Ellie Goulding - Elena Jane Goulding Dobie Gray - Leonard Victor Ainsworth Macy Gray - Natalie Renee McIntyre Cee Lo Green - Thomas DeCarlo Callaway Grimes - Claire Elise Boucher MC Hammer - Stanley Kirk Burrel Bobby Hatfield (The Righteous Brothers) - Robert Lee Hatfield Dale Hawkins - Delmar Allen Hawkins Head (Korn) - Brian Welch Jimi Hendrix - (born: Johnny Allen Hendrix) (renamed: James Marshall Hendrix) Herb (Peaches & Herb) - Haer Feemster Faith

 Hill - Audrey Faith Perry Billie Holliday - Eleanora Fagan Gough Buddy Holly - Charles Hardin Holley Engelbert Humperdinck - Arnold George Dorsey I Janis Ian - Janis Eddy Fink Vanilla Ice - Robert Van Winkle Iggy Azalea - Amethyst Amelia Kelly Julio Iglesias - Julio Iglesias de la Cueva Billy Idol - William Michael Albert Broad India.Aire - India Aire Simpson Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath) - Anthony Frank Iommi J Wolfman Jack - Robert Weston Smith Tito Jackson - Toriano Adaryll Jackson Mick Jagger - Michael Phillip Jagger Jamelia - Jamelia Niela Davis Rick James - James Ambrose Johnson, Jr.

Jazz (Dru Hill) - Larry Anthony JR. D.J. Jazzy Jeff - Jeffrey A. Townes Joan Jett - Joan Marie Larkin Jewel - Jewel Kilcher Billy Joel - William Joseph Martin Joel JoJo - Joanna Noëlle Levesque Grace Jones - Beverly Grace Jones Tom Jones - Thomas Jones Woodward Elton John - Reginald Kenneth Dwight Wynonna Judd - Christina Claire Ciminella Juvenile - Terius Grey K.C. (of The Sunshine Band) - Harry Wayne Casey Kaskade - Ryan Raddon The Great Kat - Katherine Thomas Alicia Keys - Alicia Augello Cook Chaka Khan - Carole Yvette Marie Stevens Kid Ink - Brian Todd Collins Andy Kim - Andrew Youakim B.B. King - Riley B. King Elle King - Tanner Elle Schneider Uncle Kracker - Matthew Shafer Talib Kweli - Talib Kweli Greene L LL Cool J - James Todd Smith Patti LaBelle - Patricia Louise Holt Kendrick Lamar - Kendrick Lamar Duckworth k.d.

lang - Kathryn Dawn Lang Mario Lanza - Alfredo Arnold Cocozza Queen Latifah - Dana Owens Cyndi Lauper - Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Avril Lavigne - Avril Ramona Lavigne Brenda Lee - Brenda Mae Tarpley Geddy Lee (Rush) - Gary Lee Weinrib Peggy Lee - Norma Deloris Egstrom Julian Lennon - John Charles Julian Lennon Blake Lewis - Blake Colin Lewi Huey Lewis - Hugh Anthony Cregg Liberace - Wladziu Lee Valentino Alex Lifeson (Rush) - Alexander Zivojinovich Lil Bow Wow - Shad Anthony Moss Lil Wayne - Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr.

Limahl (Kajagoogoo) - Christopher Hamill Lisa Lisa (Cult Jam) - Lisa Velez Professor Longhair - Henry Roeland Byrd Lorde - Ella Maria Lani Yelich-O'Connor Demi Lovato - Demetria Devonne Lovato Courtney Love (Hole) - Courtney Michelle Harrison Ludacris - Christopher Brian Bridges Lulu - Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie Lydia Lunch - Lydia Koch Mama Cass Elliot - Ellen Naomi Cohen Spanky MacFarlane - Elaine MacFarlane Madonna - Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone Taj Mahal - Henry St.Clair Fredricks Barry Manilow - Barry Alan Pincus Yngwie Malmsteen - Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback Manfred Mann - Manfred Lubowitz Marilyn Manson - Brian Hugh Warner Little Peggy March - Margaret Battavio Mick Mars (Motley Crue) - Robert Alan Deal Dean Martin - Dino Paul Crocetti Ricky Martin - Enrique Jose Martin Morales Brian May (Queen) - Brian Harold May Martina McBride - Martina Mariea Schiff (birth name) Paul McCartney - James Paul McCartney Roger McGuinn (Byrds) - James Joseph McGuinn III Scott McKenzie - Philip Blondheim Christine McVie - Christine Anne Perfect

 Meat Loaf - Marvin Lee Aday Bill Medley (The Righteous Brothers) - William Thomas Medley Melanie - Melanie Anne Safka Billy Ocean - Leslie Sebastian Charles Oliver - William Oliver Swofford Roy Orbison - Roy Kelton Orbison Tony Orlando - Michael Anthony Orlando Cassivitis Benjamin Orr - Benjamin Orzechowski Gilbert O'Sullivan - Raymond Edward O'Sullivan Johnny Otis - John Veliotes Ozzy Osbourne - John Michael Osbourne P Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) - James Patrick Page Patti Page - Clara Ann Fowler Robert Palmer - Alan Robert Palmer Panda Bear - Noah Benjamin Lennox Gram Parsons (Byrds,Flying Burrito Brothers) - Cecil Ingram Connor, III Passenger - Michael David Rosenberg Paul and Paula - Ray Hildebrand and Jill Jackson Les Paul - Lester Polfus Mike Penda (The Searchers) - Michael Prendergast CeCe Peniston - Cecelia Peniston Katy Perry - Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson Phosphorescent - Matthew Houck Iggy Pop - James Newell Osterberg, Jr.

Cozy Powell - Colin Flooks Cat Power - Charlyn Marie Marshall Daniel Powter - Daniel Robert Powter Maxi Priest - Max Elliot P. J. Proby - James Marcus Smith Prince - Prince Rogers Nelson Puff Daddy / P. Diddy / Diddy - Sean John Combs Q Question Mark (?) (? & The Mysterians) - Rudy Martinez R Dee Dee Ramone (Ramones) - Douglas Colvin Joey Ramone (Ramones) - Jeffery Hyman Johnny Ramone (Ramones) - John Cummings Marky Ramone - Mark Bell Nick Rhodes (Duran Duran) - Nicholas James Bates Busta Rhymes - Trevor Tahiem Smith Buddy Rich - Bernard Rich Little Richard - Richard Wayne Penniman Cliff Richard - Harry Rodger Webb Lionel Richie - Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr.

Flo Rida (Rapper) - Tramar Dillard Johnny Rivers - John Henry Ramistella Smokey Robinson (The Miracles) - William Robinson Rockwell - Kennedy Gordy Diana Ross (The Supremes) - Diane Ernestine Ross Axl Rose (Guns & Roses) - (born: William Bruce Rose Jr.) (renamed: William Bailey) Johnny Rotten (Sex Pistols) - John Joseph Lydon Kelly Rowland - Kelendria Trene Rowland Ja Rule - Jeffery Atkins Leon Russell - Claude Russell Bridges Bobby Rydell - Louis Ridarelli Mitch Ryder - William Levise Jr.

S Sam the Sham - Domingo Samudio Leo Sayer - Gerald Hugh Sayer Boz Scaggs - William Royce Scaggs ScHoolboy Q - Quincy Matthew Hanley Bon Scott (AC/DC) - Ronald Belford Scott Seal - Henry Olusegun Olumide Samuel Selena - Selena Quintanilla-Perez Shagrath (Dimmu Borgir) - Stian Thoresen Shakira - Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll Del Shannon - Charles Weedon Westover Ben Shepherd (Soundgarden) - Hunter Benedict Shepherd Gene Simmons (KISS) - Chaim Klein Witz Sir Mix-a-Lot - Anthony Ray Sisqo (Dru Hill) - Mark Andrews Nikki Sixx (Mötley Crüe) - Franklin Carlton Serafino Feranna Skepta - Joseph Junior Adenuga Slash (Guns & Roses) - Saul Hudson Grace Slick (Jefferson Airplane) - Grace Barnett Wing Fatboy Slim - Quentin Cook (aka Norman Cook) Guitar Slim - Eddie Jones Patti Smith - Patricia Lee Smith Phoebe Snow - Phoebe Laub Soulja Boy - DeAndre Cortez Way Joe South - Joseph Alfred Souter Jordin Sparks - Jordin Bri

anna Sparks Britney Spears - Britney Jean Spears Ronnie Spector - Veronica Bennett Baby Spice (Spice Girls) - Emma Lee Bunton Ginger Spice (Spice Girls) - Geraldine Estelle Halliwell Posh Spice (Spice Girls) - Victoria Caroline Adams [Beckham] Scary Spice (Spice Girls) - Melanie Janine Brown Sporty Spice (Spice Girls) - Melanie Jayne Chisholm Dusty Springfield - Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien Paul Stanley (KISS) - Stanley Harvey Eisen Edwin Starr - Charles Hatcher St.

Vincent - Annie Erin Clark Cat Stevens - Steven Demetre Georgiou (1979 - Yusuf Islam) Ray Stevens - Harold Ray Ragsdale Rod Stewart - Roderick David Stewart Stephen Stills - Stephen Arthur Stills Sting - Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner Michael Stipe (R.E.M.) - John Michael Stipe Angie Stone (The Sequence) - Angela Laverne Brown Joss Stone - Joscelyn Eve Stocker Sly Stone - Sylvester Stewart Joe Strummer (The Clash) - John Graham Mellor Levi Stubbs - Levi Stubbles Donna Summer - LaDonna Adrian Gaines Sun Ra - Herman Poole Blount Swizz Beatz - Kasseem Dean T.I.) - Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. T-Pain (aka: Teddy Pain) - Faheem Najm Booker T - Booker T. Jones Ice T - Tracy Marrow Taboo (The Black Eyed Peas) - Jaime Luis Gomez Taco - Taco Ockerse Roger Taylor (Queen) - Roger Meddows-Taylor Tinie Tempah - Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu Tammi Terrell - Thomasina Montgomery Joe Tex - Joseph Arrington Jr. B.J.

Thomas - Billy Joe Thomas Rob Thomas (Matchbox Twenty) - Robert Kelly Thomas Johnny Thunders (New York Dolls) - John Anthony Genzale, Jr Tiffany - Tiffany Darwish Tiny Tim - Herbert Buckingham Khaury Justin Timberlake - Justin Randall Timberlake Timbaland - Timothy Z. Mosley Peter Tork (Monkees) - Peter Halston Thorkelson Peter Tosh - Winston Hubert Macintosh Pete Townshend (The Who) - Peter Dennis Blandford Townshend Randy Travis - Randy Bruce Traywick Tina Turner - Annie Mae Bullock Tommy Tutone - Tommy Heath Shania Twain - Eileen Regina Edwards Twista / Tung Twista - Carl Terrell Mitchell Conway Twitty - Harold Lloyd Jenkins Tyga - Michael Ray Nguyen-Stevenson Steven Tyler - Steven Victor Tallarico U Carrie Underwood - Carrie Marie Underwood U-Roy - Ewart Beckford Steve Vai - Steven Siro Vai Ritchie Valens - Richard Steven Valenzuela Frankie Valli - Frank Castelluccio Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) - Edward Louis Severson III Bobby Vee - Robert Velline Billy Vera - Billy McCord Jr.

Tom Verlaine (Television) - Thomas Miller Sid Vicious - John Simon Ritchie Gene Vincent - Vincent Craddock St. Vincent - Anne Erin Clark Vinnie Vincent (KISS) - Vincent Cusano Bobby Vinton - Stanley Robert Vintula, Jr. W Jerry Jeff Walker - Paul Crosby Junior Walker - Autry DeWalt Walker Jr. T-Bone Walker - Aaron Thibeaux Walker M. Ward - Matthew Stephen Ward Dionne Warwick - Marie Dionne Warwick Muddy Waters - McKinley Morganfield Fee Waybill (Tubes) - John Waldo The Weeknd - Abęl Makkonen Tesfaye Bob Weir (Greatful Dead) - Robert Hall Junior Wells (blues artist) - Amos Blakemore Kanye West - Kanye Omari West Leslie West (Mountain) - Leslie Westein Jack White (White Stripes) - John Anthony Gillis Kim Wilde - Kim Smith Will.i.am (The Black Eyed Peas) - William James Adams Jr. Hank Williams - Hiram Williams Johnny Winter - John Dawson Winter Steve Winwood - Stephen Lawrence Winwood Nicky Wire (Manic Street Preachers) - Nicholas Allen Jones Howlin' Wolf - Chester Arthur Burnett Peter Wolf (J.

Geils Band) - Peter Blankfield Stevie Wonder - (born: Steveland Hardaway Judkins) (renamed: Steveland Hardaway Morris) Hawksley Workman - Ryan Corrigan Link Wray - Fred Lincoln Wray Jr. Betty Wright - Bessie Regina Norris Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society) - Jeffery Phillip Wiedlandt Bill Wyman (Rolling Stones) - William Perks Tammy Wynette - Virginia Wynette Pugh X Xzibit (rapper) - Alvin Nathaniel Joiner IV Y Weird Al Yankovic - Alfred Matthew Yankovic Yanni (New-Age musician) - Yiannis Chrysomallis Yazz - Yasmin Evans Jesse Colin Young (Youngbloods) - Perry Miller Neil Young - Neil Percival Young Timi Yuro - Rosemarie Timotea Aurro Yukmouth (Luniz) - Jarold Ellis, Jr.

Z Robin Zander - Robin Wayne Zander Frank Zappa - Frank Vincent Zappa Dweezil Zappa - Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa (birth name) Zedd - Anton Zaslavski Zendaya - Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman Warren Zevon - Warren William Zevon Rob Zombie - Robert Cummings Buckwheat Zydeco - Stanley Dural, Jr. ZZ Ward - Zsuzsanna Eva Ward Zim Zum (Life, Sex & Death, Marilyn Manson) - Timothy Michael Linton More Music Lists Celebrity Real Names at BabyNames.com Carrot Top 's real name is Scott Thompson Comedian Charo 's real name is Maria Rosario Pilar Martinez Molina Baeza Actor, Musician Cher 's real name is Cherilyn Sarkasian La Pierre Actor, Singer Coolio 's real name is Artis Leon Ivey Jr.

Rapper, Songwriter Nicolas Cage's real name is Nicholas Kim Coppola Actor Dean Cain's real name is Dean Tanaka Actor Michael Caine's real name is Maurice Joseph Micklewhite Actor Dyan Cannon's real name is Samile Diane Friesen Actor Truman Capote's real name is Truman Streckfus Persons Author Kate Capshaw's real name is Kathleen Sue Nail Actress Irene Cara's real name is Irene T. Escalera Actor, Singer Tia Carrere's real name is Althea Janairo Actor, Singer Phoebe Cates's real name is Phoebe Katz Actor Kim Cattrall's real name is Clare Woodgate Actress 50 Cent's real name is Curtis Jackson Rapper Chamillionaire's real name is Hakeem Seriki Musician Jackie Chan's real name is Kong-Sang Chan Actor , Martial Artist Coco Chanel's real name is Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel Designer Stockard Channing's real name is Susan Williams Antonia Stockar Actor Cyd Charisse's real name is Tula Ellice Finklea Actor, Dancer Ray Charles's real name is Ray Charles Robinson Singer, Songwriter Chevy Chase's real name is Cornelius Crane Chase Actor, Comedian J.C.

Chasez's real name is Joshua Scott Chasez Singer, N*Sync Joan Chen's real name is Chong Chen Actress Julia Child's real name is Julia Carolyn McWilliams Chef, Author Chyna's real name is Joan Marie Laurer Wrestler, TV Personality Patsy Cline's real name is Virginia Patterson Hensley Singer Diablo Cody's real name is Brook Busey Filmmaker Nat King Cole's real name is Nathaniel Adams Coles Singer Perry Como's real name is Pierino Roland Como Singer Coolio's real name is Artis Ivey Jr.

Rapper Alice Cooper's real name is Vincent Damon Furnier Singer, Songwriter David Copperfield's real name is David Kotkin Magician Barry Corbin's real name is Leonard Barrie Corbin Actor Bud Cort's real name is Walter Edward Cox Actor Elvis Costello's real name is Declan Patrick McManus Singer, Songwriter Peter Coyote's real name is Robert Peter Cohon Actor Joan Crawford's real name is Lucille Fay LeSueur Actor Michael Crawford's real name is Michael Dumble-Smith Actor, Singer Tom Cruise's real name is Thomas Cruise Mapother IV Actor Celia Cruz's real name is Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso Singer Penelope Cruz's real name is Penelope Cruz Sanchez Actor Ice Cube's real name is Oshea Jackson Actor, Rapper Tony Curtis's real name is Bernard Schwartz Actor Miley Cyrus's real name is Destiny Hope Cyrus Actress/Singer In Care of The Blues by Patsy Cline 1957 Written by Eddie Miller and W.S.

Stevenson Recorded by Patsy Cline May 23 1957 "In Care Of The Blues" on the album "Patsy Cline" is a self-titled studio album by American country music singer, Patsy Cline, released on August 5, 1957. This was the debut album by Cline and would be one of three studio albums Cline would record during her lifetime. Recording began as early as January 1956 and ended as late as May 23, 1957. Because the album was released on Decca, it was produced by Owen Bradley, who would later produce all of Cline's sessions between 1960 and 1963. Background vocals were done by the Nashville background vocal group, The Anita Kerr Singers, who also backed a number of popular country music artists in the 1950s and 60s. Cline recorded 12 songs for the album, a mix of honky tonk, rockabilly, and country pop. Many music critics have called the tracks very different from the other material she recorded for her later albums.

One of the songs, "Don't Ever Leave Me Again," was co-written by Cline with James Crawford and Lillian Claiborne. She used her real name, Virginia Hensley, in the songwriting credits. The Official 60's Site-Patsy Cline Spotlight Artist - Patsy Cline Millions of her records have sold since her death. She won awards and accolades, leading some fans to view her as an icon at the level of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley. Ten years after her death, in 1973, she became the first female solo artist inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 1999, she was voted number 11 on VH1's special, The 100 Greatest Women in Rock and Roll, by members and artists of the rock industry. In 2002, country music artists and industry members voted her Number One on CMT's The 40 Greatest Women of Country Music and ranked 46th in the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time" issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

Cline was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in 1932, in Winchester, Virginia, to Hilda Patterson Hensley, a 16-year-old seamstress, and Sam Hensley, a 43-year-old blacksmith. Patsy soon had a younger brother and sister, Samuel and Sylvia; the siblings were called Ginny, John, and Sis. The family moved often before settling in Winchester when Patsy was 8. She grew up "on the wrong side of the tracks". Sam deserted his family in 1947, but the Hensley home was reportedly quite happy. She was introduced to music at an early age, singing in church with her mother and admired stars such as Kay Starr, Jo Stafford, Hank Williams, Judy Garland, and Shirley Temple. Patsy had perfect pitch and was self-taught but could not read music. When she was thirteen, she was hospitalized with a throat infection and rheumatic fever. She relates that "The fever affected my throat and when I recovered I had this booming voice like Kate Smith".

To help support her family after her father abandoned them, she dropped out of high school and worked various jobs, often performing as a soda jerk and waitress by day at The Triangle Diner across the street from her school, John Handley High. After several weeks of watching performers through the window at her local radio station, she asked WINC-AM disc jockey and talent co-ordinator Jimmy McCoy if she could sing on his show. Her first performance on radio in 1947 was so well received that she was asked to return. This led to performances at local nightclubs, wearing fringed Western stage outfits that her mother made from Patsy's designs. Cline performed in variety and talent showcases in and around the Winchester and Tri-State areas coupled with increasing appearances on local radio, she attracted a large following. In 1954 Jimmy Dean, a young country star in his own right, learned of her and she became a regular with Dean on Connie B. Gay's Town and Country Jamboree radio show, airing weekday afternoons live on WARL-AM in Arlington, Virginia.

She married contractor Gerald Cline on September 19, 1953 and divorced him on July 4, 1957. The dissolution of that marriage was blamed on their considerable age difference and on the conflict between her desire to sing professionally and his desire that she adopt the conventional role of a housewife. On July 1, 1955 Cline made her network television debut on the short-lived television version of the Grand Ole Opry on ABC-TV. This was followed by an appearance on the network's Ozark Jubilee later that month before returning to the Opry show in April. Later that year, while looking for material for her first album, Patsy Cline. "Walkin' After Midnight" was a song written by Donn Hecht and Alan Block. Cline initially did not like the song because it was, according to her, "just a little old pop song." However, the song's writers and record label insisted that she record it. In the late fall of 1956, she auditioned for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts in New York City, and was accepted to sing on the CBS-TV show on January 21, 1957.

Godfrey's "discovery" of Cline was typical. Her scout, actually her mother, presented Patsy who initially was supposed to sing "A Poor Man's Roses (Or a Rich Man's Gold)", but the show's producers insisted she sing "Walkin' After Midnight" instead. Though heralded as a country song, recorded in Nashville, Godfrey's staff insisted that Cline appear in a cocktail dress rather than in one of her mother's hand-crafted cowgirl outfits. The audience's enthusiastic ovations pushed the applause meter to its apex, winning the competition for her. After the Godfrey show, listeners began calling their local radio stations to request the song, so she released it as a single. Although Cline had been performing for almost a decade and had appeared on national TV three times, it took Godfrey to make her a star. For a couple of months thereafter, Cline appeared regularly on Godfrey's radio program. "Walkin' After Midnight" reached No. 2 on the country chart and No. 12 on the pop chart, making Cline one of the first country singers to have a crossover pop hit. The single drove her success for the next year or so.

She stayed visible by making personal appearances and performing regularly on Godfrey’s show, as well as performing for several years on Ozark Jubilee (later Jubilee USA). She had no other hits with Four Star. Disagreements over creative control on Godfrey's show resulted in her movng on. Cline composed and recorded "A Stranger in My Arms" and "Don't Ever Leave Me Again" in 1957 under her birth name, Virginia Hensley but the songs never went anywhere. A month after her recording session, she met Charlie Dick, a good-looking ladies man who frequented the local club circuit Cline played on weekends. His charisma and admiration of Cline's talents captured her attention, and their relationship resulted in a marriage that lasted until her death. Though their love affair was publicized as controversial, Cline regarded Dick as "the love of her life". After the birth of their daughter, Julie, in 1958, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee. In 1959 Cline met Randy Hughes, a session guitarist and promotion man. Hughes became her manager and helped her change labels when her Four Star contract expired in 1960.

She signed with Decca Records-Nashville, directly under the direction of legendary female-singer country music producer Owen Bradley. He was responsible for much of Cline's success and positively influenced the careers of both Brenda Lee and Loretta Lynn. Even though she was still scared of the lush Nashville Sound arrangements, Bradley considered Cline's voice best-suited for country pop-crossover songs. Bradley's direction and arrangements helped smooth her voice into the silky, torch song style for which she won fame. Shortly before her 1961 life-threatening car accident Cline's first release for Decca was the country pop ballad "I Fall to Pieces" (1961), written by Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard. The song was promoted and won success on both country and pop music stations. On the country charts, the song slowly climbed to the top, garnering her first Number One ranking. In a major feat for country singers at the time, the song hit No. 12 on the pop and No. 6 on the adult contemporary charts, making her a household name and demonstrating that women could achieve as much crossover success as men.

Patsy Cline on the Glenn Reeves Show on Feb 23, 1963 In 1960, Cline realized a lifelong dream when the Grand Ole Opry accepted her request to join the cast, making her the only person to achieve membership in such a fashion. She became one of the Opry's biggest stars. Even before that time, believing that there was "room enough for everybody", and confident of her abilities and appeal, Cline befriended and encouraged women starting out in the country music field at that time, including Loretta Lynn, Dottie West, Jan Howard, sixteen-year-old Brenda Lee and a thirteen-year-old steel-guitar player named Barbara Mandrell with whom Cline once toured, all of whom cited her as a major influence. According to both Lynn and West, Cline always gave herself to friends, buying them groceries and furniture and even hiring them as wardrobe assistants. On occasion, she paid their rent, enabling them to stay in Nashville and continue pursuing their dreams. Honky-tonk pianist and Opry star Del Wood said, "Even when she didn't have it, she'd spend it—and not always on herself.

She'd give anyone the skirt off her backside if they needed it." She cultivated a brash and gruff exterior that allowed her to be considered "one of the boys". This allowed her to befriend male artists as well, including Roger Miller, Hank Cochran, Faron Young, Ferlin Husky, Harlan Howard and Carl Perkins all of whom she socialized with at famed Nashville establishment Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, next door to the Opry. In the 1986 documentary The Real Patsy Cline, singer George Riddle said of her, "It wasn't unusual for her to sit down and have a beer and tell a joke, and she'd never be offended at the guys' jokes either, because most of the time she'd tell a joke dirtier than you! Patsy was full of life, as I remember." Cline used the term of endearment "Hoss" to refer to her friends, both male as well as female, and referred to herself as "The Cline". Patsy met Elvis Presley in 1962 at a fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and they exchanged phone numbers.

Having seen him perform during a rare Grand Ole Opry appearance, she admired his music, called him The Big Hoss, and often recorded with his backup group, The Jordanaires. By this time, Cline controlled her own career, making it clear to all involved that she could stand up to any man, verbally and professionally, and was ready to challenge their rules if they interfered with her. In a time when concert promoters often cheated stars by promising to pay them after the show but skipping out with the money before the concert ended, Cline demanded her money before she took the stage by proclaiming: "No dough, no show", a practice that became the rule. According to friend Roy Drusky in the The Real Patsy Cline: "Before one concert, we hadn't been paid. And we were talking about who was going to tell the audience that we couldn't perform without pay. Patsy said, 'I'll tell 'em!' And she did!" Friend Dottie West stated in amazement some 25 years later in an interview that "It was common knowledge around town that you didn't mess with 'The Cline!" Cline bore a son, Randy in 1961.

On June 14, she and her brother Sam were involved in a head-on collision on Old Hickory Boulevard in Nashville, the second and more serious of two crashes during her lifetime. The impact threw Cline into the windshield, nearly killing her. Upon arriving at the scene, Dottie West picked glass from Cline's hair, and went with her in the ambulance. When help arrived, Cline insisted that the other car's driver be treated first, an event which had a long-term detrimental effect on Dottie West. Cline later stated that she saw the female driver of the other car die before her eyes. When in 1991 West was fatally injured in a car accident, she too insisted that her driver be treated first, possibly causing her own death. Cline spent a month in the hospital, suffering from a jagged cut across her forehead that required stitches, a broken wrist and a dislocated hip. Both Nassour and friend Billy Walker (who died in a vehicle accident in 2006) reported that Cline rededicated her life to Christianity while in the hospital, where she received thousands of cards and flowers from fans. When she left the hospital, her forehead was visibly scarred.

For the remainder of her career, she wore wigs and makeup to hide the scars, along with headbands to relieve the forehead pressure that caused headaches if left unattended. Six weeks later, she returned to the road on crutches with a new appreciation for life. A series of recordings titled Patsy Cline: Live at the Cimarron Ballroom from her first concert after the crash were released in 1997 and feature dialogue of Cline interacting with the audience, reviewing her live performances. Recorded in Tulsa, Oklahoma as a sound check, these archives were found in the attic by a later owner of one of Cline's residences and were given to the family. Unable to capitalize upon the success of "I Fall to Pieces" due to her hospital stay, Cline sought another recording to re-establish herself. When introduced to "Crazy", a song written by Willie Nelson, Cline expressed a vehement dislike for the composition and the inaugural recording session was unsuccessful. Undertaken in the Quonset Hut (where the original Bradley's Barn Studio was located before moving to Opryland), the singer tried from the outset to record "Crazy" like Nelson's demo recording, which featured his idiosyncratic style.

Cline claimed that the song was too difficult for her; not only because of the demo style, but also because her ribs, injured in the crash, made it difficult for her to reach the high notes. The problems during the session created conflict with Bradley. In an era where it had become a standard to record four songs in a three-hour period, those present at the Quonset Hut "Crazy" session had to cope with a four-hour session for a single song. It was eventually decided that Cline would overdub her vocals over the best instrumental recording of the track. This came a week later when the singer's ribs had further healed. Upon returning to the studio, Cline could reach the high notes and recorded her part in a single take. Patsy Cline at Four Star Records in March 1957. The popular appeal of the final version of the recording was attributed to Bradley's management of Cline's fear of the Nashville Sound, because he convinced her to imbue the recording with her unique persona. The song became an intimate representation of Cline and is perceived to be completely unlike Nelson's version. Now considered a classic, "Crazy" ultimately became Cline's signature song.

By late 1961, "Crazy" was a crossover success, straddling the country and pop genres, and reached the Top 10 on the charts. It became Cline's biggest pop hit. The song subsequently reached No. 9 on the US Hot 100 and No. 2 on both the Hot Country Songs and the Adult Contemporary lists. An album released in November 1961, entitled Patsy Cline Showcase, featured both of Cline's hits of that year.[citation needed] Loretta Lynn later reported on her album, I Remember Patsy, that on the night Cline premiered "Crazy" at the Grand Ole Opry, she received three standing ovations. Patsy Cline was the first female country music star to headline her own show and receive billing above the male stars with whom she toured.

She was so respected by men in the industry that rather than being introduced to audiences as "Pretty Miss Patsy Cline" as her female contemporaries often were, she was given a more stately introduction such as that given by Johnny Cash on their 1962 tour: "Ladies and Gentlemen, The One and Only – Patsy Cline." As an artist, she held her fan base in extremely high regard, many of whom became friends, staying for hours after concerts to chat and sign autographs. She was the first woman in country music to perform at New York's Carnegie Hall, sharing the bill with fellow Opry members. Friends Dottie West, June Carter Cash, and Loretta Lynn recalled Cline telling them during 1962–1963 that she felt a sense of impending doom and did not expect to live much longer. Cline, known for her generosity, had begun giving away personal items to friends, writing her will on Delta Air Lines stationery and asking close friends to care for her children should anything happen to her.

She told Jordanaires back-up singer Ray Walker as she exited the Grand Ole Opry the week before her death: "Honey, I've had two bad ones (accidents). The third one will either be a charm or it'll kill me." On March 3, 1963 Cline performed at a benefit at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall, Kansas City, Kansas for the family of disc jockey "Cactus" Jack Call. He had died in an automobile crash a little over a month earlier. Call was a longtime DJ for KCKN, but had switched to KCMK a week before his death in January 25, 1963 at the age of 39. Also performing on the show were George Jones, George Riddle and The Jones Boys, Billy Walker, Dottie West, Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper, Geor ge McCormick, the Clinch Mountain Boys as well as Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins. Reports vary as to whether Cline, ill with the flu, gave two or three performances. Some sources say the shows were at 2 p.m. and 5:15 p.m., but other sources say an 8 p.m.

show was added due to popular demand. The shows were standing-room only. For the 2 p.m. show, she wore a sky-blue tulle-laden dress, for the 5:15 show a red shocker, and for the closing show at 8 p.m., Cline wore white chiffon and closed the show to a thunderous ovation. Her final song was the last she had recorded the previous month, "I'll Sail My Ship Alone". Cline, who had spent the night at the Town House Motor Hotel, was unable to fly out the day after the concert because Fairfax Airport was fogged in. Dottie West asked Patsy to ride in the car with her and husband, Bill, back to Nashville (approximately a 16 hour drive), but Cline refused, saying, "Don't worry about me, Hoss. When it's my time to go, it's my time." On March 5, she called her mother from the motel and checked out at 12:30 p.m. to go the short distance to the airport to board the Piper Comanche.

The plane stopped once in Missouri to refuel and subsequently landed at Dyersburg Municipal Airport in Dyersburg, Tennessee at 5 p.m. Hughes was the pilot, but was not trained in instrument flying. Hawkins had accepted Billy Walker's seat after Walker left on a commercial flight to take care of a stricken family member. The Dyersburg, Tennessee airfield manager suggested that they stay the night after advising of high winds and inclement weather, and even offered them free rooms and meals, but Hughes responded, "I've already come this far. We'll be there before you know it." The plane took off at 6:07 p.m. (Hughes' flight instructor had also trained Jim Reeves, whose plane crashed the following year. Neither pilot was instrument-rated and both attempted using visual flight rules known as VFR—impossible in the driving rain faced by both flights.) Cline's flight encountered inclement weather and crashed on the evening of March 5, 1963. Her recovered wristwatch had stopped at approximately 6:20 p.m. The plane wreckage was located approximately 90 miles from its Nashville destination in a forest outside Camden, Tennessee.

Forensic examinations concluded that everyone aboard had been killed instantaneously from their injuries and did not suffer. Until the wreckage was discovered the following dawn and reported on the radio, friends and family had not given up hope. Endless repetitions of calls such as "Did you hear anything?" "No, did you?" tied up the local telephone exchanges to such a degree that other emergencies occurring over the same period had trouble getting through. The lights at the destination Cornelia Fort Airpark were kept on throughout the night as reports of the missing plane were broadcast on radio and TV. Early the following morning, Roger Miller and his friend went searching for survivors: "As fast as I could, I ran through the woods screaming their names—through the brush and the trees, and I came up over this little rise, oh, my God, there they were. It was ghastly. The plane had crashed nose down" Shortly after the bodies were removed, looters scavenged the area. Some of the items which were recovered were eventually donated to The Country Music Hall of Fame. Included in those donations were Cline's wrist watch, Confederate flag cigarette lighter, studded belt and three pairs of gold lamé slippers.

Cline's fee and attire from that last performance were never recovered. Patsy Cline left us at a young age but her music will be with us forever. Thank you Patsy for the memories. According to her 1973 Country Music Hall of Fame plaque, "Her heritage of timeless recordings is testimony to her artistic capacity." "Always ... Patsy Cline" brings iconic singer to life - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR "Always ... Patsy Cline" brings iconic singer to life Sunday Oct 10, 2010 at 12:01 AM Oct 10, 2010 at 2:40 AM One set, two characters and 27 songs may not be the first thing that comes to mind for an evening of theater, but "Always ... Patsy Cline" plays better than it sounds — better than the concept sounds, that is, because the songs sound great. By BILL VARBLE One set, two characters and 27 songs may not be the first thing that comes to mind for an evening of theater, but "Always ...

Patsy Cline" plays better than it sounds — better than the concept sounds, that is, because the songs sound great. Tunes such as "I Fall to Pieces," "She's Got You," "Crazy," "Just a Closer Walk" and "Faded Love" transcend all the usual little Balkanized musical niches and rip your heart out. The richness of the material accounts for a big part of the "crossover" success of Cline, who was not only arguably country's first female superstar but lived on the pop charts as well before she died in a plane crash at age 30 in 1963. In Camelot's new production of "Always ... Patsy Cline," Livia Genise plays the country singer, and Presila Quinby plays Louise Segar, a fan who met Cline at a concert two years before the singer's death and became friends with her. There are the two actors, a six-piece country band, a set that doubles as a Houston nightspot and Segar's home, and that's about it. Oh, and the wigs. These are doosies, created by Virginia Carol Hudson.

Quinby as Louise has Big Hair Texas-style, circa late 1950s and early '60s. Genise wears both big hair and later a more sophisticated 'do as Cline, whose wigs covered the scars from a car crash she was lucky to have lived through. "Always" is neither straight play nor musical comedy. It's a musical tribute-cum-dialog, a cross between a staged biopic and a cabaret show. It was named one of the top 10 shows across the country in 1998 by American Theatre Magazine and has been widely produced in venues including at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, which in Cline's day was home to the Grand Ol' Opry. It is January of 1957, and Louise hears Patsy Cline (real name: Virginia Hensley) sing "Walkin' After Midnight" on Arthur Godfrey's "Talent Scouts" TV show, and the Earth moves. The real Cline rode that tune to TV appearances and live performances for a year or so but couldn't follow it with another hit for a couple of years, which in the music biz is forever.

Meanwhile, back in our story, Louise, brought to zingy, over-the-top, comic/melodramatic life by Quinby as a good little ol' gal out of "Steel Magnolias," looking like Dolly Parton from the neck up, hectors the local country music disc jockey into playing Cline's recordings. Then one day he tells her the singer is coming to town. Louise goes hours early to the huge Houston honky-tonk for Cline's gig. In real life the women bonded, Cline spent the night at Louise's home, platonically, eating bacon and eggs before flying to Dallas for her next show, and the two corresponded until Cline's death. It was this episode that fired the imagination of Houston-based playwright-director Ted Swindley and led to "Always." What story there is takes place during this one long night. The plucky women drink a few Schlitz beers and swap stories, and something clicks, and Cline opens her heart to the puppy-like Louise. The heart of the piece is the music. Genise is a quality singer who knows how to sell a song.

Still, taking on one of the most iconic songbooks in American popular music must be daunting. Nobody sounds quite like Patsy Cline, whose powerful contralto had that unique heart-achey thing. Genise sings in the manner of Cline. When she sings, "I should hate you the whole night through / instead of having sweet dreams about you," her voice does that little Patsy swoop. Her "Crazy" is Cline's crossover take, not the jazzy interpretation of Willie Nelson, who wrote it. It doesn't hurt that musical director and keyboardist Matt Gwinup is laying down those little Floyd Cramer slip notes that are burned into the brain of anybody who's ever heard the original recordings. Cramer, along with Cline and her producer, Owen Bradley, Chet Atkins and a few others created the "Nashville Sound" that supplanted the rougher country music of the 1940s and '50s. Backing Patsy/Genise along with Gwinup are Camelot Producing Director Doug Warner playing guitar and slide, Esther Aviana Platt on fiddle, Peter Spring on bass and Steve Sutfin on drums.

The group is a bit to the honky-tonk side of the Nashville Sound, but it is a credible country aggregation that got its groove as the evening flew by. There is little narrative momentum in "Always." Rather, the girl-meets-girl-and-then-you-die story is a prism through which Cline comes into focus. It's a portrait of a true original, bodaciously talented but earthy, a ringing evocation of a moment frozen in an old black-and-white photo bursting into living color. Bill Varble writes about arts and entertainment for the Mail Tribune. He can be reached at varble.bill@gmail.com. About Us

Question: Virginia Hensley was the real name of which 50's and 60's singer?
Answer: Patsy Cline